


A Sharper Image

by charlottemadison



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Angels preparing for war, Armageddon, Heaven, Heaven is Terrible (Good Omens), Imperialist scum, M/M, Quartermaster, Rarepair, Sandalphon - Freeform, The Sound of Music References, and not in a nice way, pointy objects, which should be an oxymoron but, yes the author is subtweeting the British Empire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:07:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26183929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charlottemadison/pseuds/charlottemadison
Summary: A ficlet inspired by a request for the rarest of pairs in 500 words or less.In which two members of the Heavenly Host prepare themselves for Armageddon.
Relationships: The Quartermaster (Good Omens) / Sandalphon (Good Omens)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 46
Collections: GO Events - Rare Pairs, GO Events NTA 7 - Rare Pairs





	A Sharper Image

“Ready for the big day?”

With an etched elephant ivory comb, the Quartermaster finished smoothing his silver hair into place and started the arduous work of sculpting the gold and platinum side whiskers that were his pride and joy.

“Created ready,” he replied crisply, “but eager nonetheless.”

The trick was to tease it into the proper shape without disentangling the hairs from each other. The body, the form, and the strength came from their concordance. Their unit cohesion. The Quartermaster licked his teeth and worked his jaw between strokes so as to relax the skin for each pass.

Sandalphon appeared in the mirror behind him. “Dunno how you put up with all that fuss,” he observed drily. “I skip that part of the corporation altogether.”

“Comes down to our different purposes, I suspect,” the Quartermaster said thickly, through barely-moving lips. “Keeping the troops united -- it’s all about appearance. If I skipped it, I’d hardly be an example of the corporeal effort we expect, now, would I? Have to inspire the troops to exemplify Her glory on the battlefield.”

“I suppose.” Sandalphon’s reflection vanished, and the sound of his handheld whetstone resumed. Sandalphone was not preparing himself. He was preparing his blade.

With one side finished, the Quartermaster turned to steal a glimpse of him while he was absorbed in the repetitive task. The stirring vision of an angel performing their destined duty -- the expertise, focus, the fit -- never failed to move the Quartermaster. Every piece in its place, every hand to its task, all to propel the grand machine forward to eternal victory.

Sandalphon, entirely immersed in his work, did not think such lofty thoughts. He did not have to. He was not created to. He was a warrior, not a steward or a strategist. Watching him, the Quartermaster spared a moment of praise for She who allowed him to see Sandalphon in the magnificence of his larger context. 

Sandalphon and every other angel, equally, he reminded himself, with a brief reprimanding shake of his head. They all had their part to play.

And his part was to be an example of military discipline for the millions he martialed, so he set to work on the other side of his whiskers. The symmetry was always challenging, but the Quartermaster enjoyed the pursuit of symmetry just as much as the outcome. He puffed out his cheeks to get a nice smooth plane on top.

The sound of the whetstone ceased. After a moment, Sandalphon spoke into the silence. “Looks nice.”

The Quartermaster did not blush, because proper angels did not display physiological emotional responses. But he did lean at an angle till he could catch Sandalphon’s eye in the mirror.

“So, tomorrow,” he said with a hint of a smile. “Shall we start at the very beginning?”

A broad earnest grin spread over Sandalphon’s face, just as the Quartermaster hoped. Sandalphon always adored quotes.

“A very good place to start,” he answered happily.

The gold of his incisors gleamed.

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't, you should peep some of the other wonderful rarepairs from this fic challenge! They'll blow your mind, man. https://archiveofourown.org/collections/GO_Events_RarePairs


End file.
